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Community College Journal ofResearch and PracticePublication details, including instructions forauthors and subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ucjc20

Initiative to Promote theRetention of Campus ResidentsEnrolled in Learning SupportCarl McDonald a & Robert Preston Jr. ba Vice President for Academic Affairs, South GeorgiaCollege , Douglas, Georgia, USAb Public Information Specialist, South GeorgiaCollege , Douglas, Georgia, USAPublished online: 09 Oct 2010.

To cite this article: Carl McDonald & Robert Preston Jr. (2010) Initiative toPromote the Retention of Campus Residents Enrolled in Learning Support,Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 34:11, 916-919, DOI:10.1080/10668926.2010.509260

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2010.509260

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INITIATIVE TO PROMOTE THE RETENTION OF CAMPUSRESIDENTS ENROLLED IN LEARNING SUPPORT

Carl McDonald

Vice President for Academic Affairs, South Georgia College, Douglas,Georgia, USA

Robert Preston, Jr.

Public Information Specialist, South Georgia College, Douglas,Georgia, USA

Learning Support probation results in the loss of financial aid, tuition,housing revenues, and lowering of both retention and graduation rates.Because of these consequences, an initiative was formed to assist thesestudents and decrease the number of students put on probation orsuspended due to failure to complete Learning Support requirements.

‘‘It was so difficult to tell our students that they had lost their finan-cial aid due to Learning Support probation or suspension. Many ofthese students were living away from home for the first time anddidn’t understand the commitment it takes to establish a new homeaway from home and maintain their schoolwork. When I had to tellthem they were on probation or would be suspended, they wouldoften look at me and say, ‘But I didn’t know.’ We had to help thesestudents and this project was a way of doing so,’’ said Diane Blum,Housing Enrollment and Retention Coordinator at South GeorgiaCollege (SGC), as she explains the first steps in the process thatresulted in SGC’s Initiative to Promote the Retention of Campus

Address correspondence to Carl McDonald, 100 W. College Park Drive, Douglas, GA

31533. E-mail: lisa.harrell@sgc.edu

Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 34: 916–919, 2010

Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

ISSN: 1066-8926 print=1521-0413 online

DOI: 10.1080/10668926.2010.509260

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Residents Enrolled in Learning Support. SGC is located in Douglas,Georgia, and a member of the University System of Georgia. Thisproject, which SGC submitted for a Bellwether Award in January,targets residential students who are enrolled in Learning Support(developmental or remedial) classes in an attempt to increase theretention rate of students in Learning Support. It began as a LeanSix Sigma project on campus, and it involved a team of academiccoaches who met with residential students in Learning Supportthroughout the following spring and fall semesters. As a result of thisinitiative, the number of residential Learning Support studentsretained on campus increased substantially from Fall 2008 to Fall2009.

As a part of the access portion of SGC’s mission, the college has alarge percentage of students in Learning Support classes. Each aca-demic term, the college loses a number of residential students becausethey are placed on Learning Support probation or Learning Supportsuspension. Learning Support probation results in the loss of finan-cial aid for students and tuition=housing revenues for the institution,which lowers both retention and graduation rates.

During spring semester 2009, a team of South Georgia Collegefaculty and staff members began a systematic effort to provideadditional services and support to students residing on campus whowere enrolled in one or more Learning Support (developmental stu-dies) classes. Diane Blum, a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt-trained staffmember, collected data from the previous semesters to underscore theneed for an initiative that became her Green Belt certification cap-stone project. In order to truly understand the scope of this project,one must be at least a little familiar with the Lean Six Sigma axiom.Lean Six Sigma is actually two methodologies combined into onelarger management philosophy. The Lean portion denotes a system-atic approach to identifying and eliminating waste. Six Sigma is adata-driven methodology that focuses on reducing errors in any pro-cess. When combined, Lean Six Sigma is a powerful tool that usesempirical data to streamline processes, improve customer service,and eliminate defects. In the context of this project, the loss of astudent to Learning Support probation or suspension is considereda defect.

The goal of the project is to reduce on a continuing basis the num-ber of residential students South Georgia College loses due to beingplaced on Learning Support probation and=or Learning Support sus-pension. Six team members became coaches and were assigned towork with a group of campus residents who were enrolled in oneor more Learning Support classes. Each coach worked with an

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average of 17 residents. Those serving as coaches were the tworesident managers, the coordinator of housing enrollment and reten-tion, the student activities coordinator, a student support servicescounselor, and the vice president for student affairs. The directorof student life, the registrar, the chair of the Learning Supportdivision, and enrollment services personnel completed the team forthe initiative.

Each coach had individual meetings with each assigned student.Coaches set the goal of meeting with each student at least once everytwo weeks throughout the term. Coaches kept files on theirconferences with students and maintained documents that includedLearning Support progress review sheets, Family Educational Rightsand Privacy Act (FERPA) forms, Class Attendance forms, academictranscripts, progress reports, and comment logs. Coaches providedstudents with information sheets that explained the requirementsfor remaining in good standing. Tutoring schedules were distributed,as were web sites for practice exit tests. The coaches worked with theassigned students and the faculty to monitor grades, absences, areasof weakness, and class enrollment.

‘‘I really enjoyed my time in this program. It really helped me tohave someone to speak to in order to help me with my Learning Sup-port classes. I was in Learning Support math, and I was paired withMiss Diane. She was always there in her office anytime I needed anyhelp or advice. She helped me to get out of Learning Support. NowI’m in college algebra. My coach really made a difference in my edu-cation at South Georgia College,’’ said Trisha Hammock, an SGCstudent who participated in the program.

The percentage of students lost to Learning Support probation orsuspension declined from 13.0% at the end of Fall 2008 to 8.2% inFall 2009. The corresponding revenues recovered are significant(the loss of only $58,848 in Fall 2009 as opposed to $93,576 in Fall2008). As more Learning Support students are successful, their suc-cess will positively affect both retention and graduation rates. Inaddition, SGC is constructing a new housing complex that could dou-ble the number of residential students on campus. Having a projectsuch as this in place could be an important recruiting tool as SGCbrings more students to campus.

Because of the manner in which this project was implemented, itresulted in almost no cost to the college. Yes, there were man-hoursinvolved. But Diane and her team did not use consultants, payconference fees, travel, nor incur any other costs associated withprofessional development or training. This project was simply thegoodwill of SGC faculty and staff. The coaches’ passion and

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compassion showed, and the students responded. Because of this, theproject is sustainable, viable, effective, and replicable. College person-nel are reviewing the data, and Diane and her team continue torecruit coaches and refine the processes of the project to make it evenmore effective. With exemplary service as a goal, the team plans tocontinue the effort during the fall of 2010. It also proposes to expandthe best elements of the initiative beyond the residence halls to theentire campus.

‘‘In many ways, this project was a grassroots effort. A staff mem-ber proposed the project and many other staff members stepped up tothe bar to help out. The fact that this plan involved people acrossoperational areas of the college means that it is sustainable at a levelthat perhaps other projects might not have been. It will help us as wemove forward at South Georgia College because we truly believe thatevery student counts,’’ said Dr. Virginia Carson, South GeorgiaCollege president.

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